Cricket: Cronje admits receiving money

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Sacked South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje has admitted receiving money from bookmakers earlier this year during a one-day tournament in South Africa.

The United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCB) managing director, Ali Bacher, told a press conference in Duran that Cronje took between $US10,000 and $US15,000 for "providing information and forecasting" to a South African businessman and an Indian bookmaker during a triangular series involving South Africa, Zimbabwe and England in January and February.

Despite taking the money, Cronje has denied taking part in any match fixing during the series or a recent one-day series in India.

Cronje and teammates Nicky Boje, Herschelle Gibbs and Pieter Strydom have been charged by Indian police with "cheating, fraud, and criminal conspiracy related to match-fixing and betting."

Police in New Delhi believe they have enough evidence, including a tape of an alleged conversation between Cronje and a London-based bookie Sanjay Chawla discussing match fixing and payment details, to take the matter to court.

Cronje could face extradition to India if the courts find any prima facie evidence of match fixing. The South African President, Thabo Mbeki,may have to decide on the possible extradition as no treaty exists between India and South Africa.

On Tuesday Cronje was dropped from the South African team for the upcoming home series against Australia after he admitted to Ali Bacher that he not been "entirely honest" over the match fixing allegations. He had previously denied the claims made against him.

In a statement read out by the South African Sports Minister, Ngconde Balfour, Cronje apologised to "all South Africans, the team… the UCB, the government, as well as my wife and family" for his "involvement in the matter."

What they said - the purported conversations between Hansie Cronje and Sanjay Chawla:

Sanjay Chawla: Is Strydom playing?

"Hansie Cronje": Yes he is playing. Yeah.

Chawla: Boje?

"Cronje": Boje is playing.

Chawla: And who is playing? Gibbs?

"Cronje": Gibbs and myself.

Chawla: Yeah, what about anybody else?

"Cronje": No, I won't be able to get any more.

Chawla: You won't be able to get more?

"Cronje": No.

Chawla: Ok, just tell me. But you have only four with you and not anybody else?

"Cronje": No.

Chawla: (Lance) Klusener and no one?

"Cronje": No, no, impossible, impossible. They were saying that they were already doing Cochin. The other guys are already angry with me because I have not received their money you know.

Chawla: But I told you I have already given him altogether 60.

"Cronje": Ok.

Chawla: And tomorrow I can deposit the money in your account, it is not a problem because of the time difference. Tomorrow itself I can deposit the money.

"Cronje": Ok. Everything is fine. Spoken to Gibbs and to Williams and Strydom. Everything is fine.

Chawla: And how many runs for Gibbs?

"Cronje": Less than 20.

Chawla: Less than 20?

"Cronje": Yeah.

Chawla: And if you score 270 it is off?

"Cronje": Ok, and financially the guys want 25. They want 25 each.

Chawla: Alright, ok.

"Cronje": So that's 75 for those three and what can you pay me? I do not know how much you pay me.

Chawla: You say.

"Cronje": If you give me 140 for everybody.

Chawla: 140 altogether?

"Cronje": Yeah.

Chawla: Ok, that's fine.

"Cronje": Alright. So we definitely are on.

Full transcript of the "Cronje" tape.